What is Psychosexual Somatics® ?

"The mind is like the wind and the body like the sand:
if you want to know how the wind is blowing,
you can look at the sand"Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen

Psychosexual Somatics@ Therapy (PSST) is a new, revolutionary, body-oriented
therapeutic modality to deal with sexual and intimacy issues, developed by Mike
Lousada. It is a unique combination of psychotherapeutic and body work disciplines,
based on the understanding that most sexual issues present as a combination of
cognitive (mind) and somatic (body) symptoms. It is only by addressing both mind and
body, therefore, that full resolution can be achieved.

Using the latest understandings from neuro-science PSST has developed a neuro-
affective relational model that makes it ideally suited to safely help resolve client’s
sexual, emotional and medical trauma. Through a combination of talk work and
bodywork these, as well as non-traumatic, intimacy issues, can be resolved. This allows
the client to move into a more empowered relationship with their sexuality.

Four Stages

A therapeutic process may contain one or more of the following four stages:

PSST offers a clearly boundaried, safe therapeutic space in which clients are supported
to resolve intimacy issues both within the mind and the body. The model uses safe,
powerful, quick and effective techniques to allow the client to understand their old,
limiting patterns from the past, how these affect their present situation, and empowers
them to make positive changes for their future.

Methods

PSST is informed by a unique combination of:

Psychotherapeutic tools

Neuro-affective response

Somatic trauma therapy, such as Somatic Experiencing

Myofascial release and osteopathic soft tissue techniques

Clinical sexology

Energy and transpersonal psychology

In sessions the Psychosexual Somatics® Practitioner holds a safe container in which the
client’s process can unfold allowing them to integrate body and mind. Through the
methods described above and by witnessing and reflecting back the client’s process,
especially by focusing on the practitioner’s somatic counter-transference, the client is
enabled to begin to come into relationship with disowned aspects of their selfhood.
Working simultaneously with the client’s cognitive and somatic responses allows the
client to make behavioural changes as well creating as positive neural growth.

During a session, a Psychosexual Somatics® Practitioner works with the
cognitive, affective, somatic and transpersonal by providing a loving, accepting
space which enables the therapeutic process to occur.

The foundation of PSST is to empower the client through increased awareness
of the body-mind connection. It is through this awareness that positive change occurs.